In the Shadow of Hidan
by Asami01
Summary: Can the younger twin brother of the infamous Hidan truly live in a ninja world that's come to associate his face with cruelty and unforgivable crimes? Will he have to give up his dream as a Shinobi? Or will he have to pay the ultimate price trying to keep it alive? Disclaimer: I own none of the Naruto characters mentioned in this fanfic, save for my own original ideas.
1. Setting Off

He was kind and generous. He was respectful and polite. He was compassionate and viewed life as something not to be taken lightly, regardless of who it belonged to. He was _Hidan,_ or so many believed at first sight of him.

Growing up in Yugakure wasn't quite so easy for Ai, the younger twin brother of Hidan, who the world would come to know as an infamous rogue ninja and member of the Akatsuki. Ai's brother, Hidan, having a tendency to be abrasive and crude, especially in delicate situations, was always in contrast to Ai, who was the gentler of the two, much to Hidan's annoyance, which he never failed to express how much it annoyed him in the form of physical violence towards his brother.

There was such a great difference between the brothers in personality and behavior, that Hidan himself, at times, had a hard time believing Ai to be his actual blood brother, with their sharing the exact same face being the only thing to convince him otherwise.

"You're such a wussy, Ai! And you got a girl's name, you pathetic piece of crap!" 12 year old Hidan yelled as he kicked dirt into Ai's eyes, who lay on the ground shielding himself after his older brother shoved him down.

"When are you gonna man up and stop. acting. so. damn. girly!" Hidan spouted as he heightened his effort in abusing his younger sibling.

"I'm not girly, Hidan! I just don't think it's right to be mean!" Ai yelled as he continued to defend himself from his brother's assault.

"Oh yeah? Then why do you wanna be a ninja? You think ninja's aren't mean!? They kill people and that's as mean as you can get!" Hidan asserted to his brother asAi began to pick himself up and dust himself off, with Hidan having ceased his attack on him.

"Just because they have to kill people sometimes doesn't mean they're all mean people!" Ai said as he started to tear up.

"You're never gonna be a real ninja with an attitude like that. You have to be ruthless and willing to kill any and everyone! That's what ninjas do!"

Ai wiped his eyes and looked at his brother's disapproving face.

"I can't believe you'd cry after something like that, Ai. I barely touched you and here you are being a girly sissy! When I grow up, I'm going to make sure no knows you're my brother, because I'm going to kill you or mess your face up bad enough so we won't look alike anymore!"

"You're a jerk!" Ai scream as he lunged at Hidan, who he felt had finally crossed a line.

The two brothers struggled in the dirt for awhile, until eventually, they both became worn from their fighting.

"Haha, I knew something like that would rile you up, Ai." Hidan said with a huge grin on his face, as he lay flat on his back, still tired from his tussle.

"Consider it a big brother's love." He continued. "I had to do something about that prissy personality of yours. So, I said something to make you angry enough to finally get some fight out of you. Now, whenever you need to, you can use that to help you out."

Ai was slightly confused at his brother's words.

"W-what do you mean, Hidan?" Ai spoke still wiping tears from his eyes, as he sat up near to his brother.

"You don't get it? Okay, let me explain. Since you act so nice about everything, whenever you need to get mean like a real ninja, just remember what I said to you, and you can get angry enough to fight like a real man!" Hidan stated boldly.

"So you said that to ... help me be a better ninja?" Ai asked, shocked at this revelation.

"Yeah, of course. I know I pick on you and call you names like crybaby, girly, wuss, and stuff, but you're still my younger brother, so I kind of have to help you. If you're going to be a ninja, I have to make sure you can defend yourself and don't get yourself killed."

Ai felt, in an odd way, that this was Hidan's way of truly showing he cared for him, and so instead of rejecting his brother's words, he embraced them.

"Thanks, Hidan. You're a great big brother."Ai smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah, I know. Just don't go back to being a sissy on me, okay?" Hidan lamented.

As time moved forward, Hidan would eventually come to leaving his village and his brother behind. He grew to bear an infamous name throughout the nations as a rogue ninja, as an international criminal, and one of the more merciless members of the Akatsuki, though not by much. And while Ai felt a certain sadness from hearing just how far his brother's desire for bloodshed had come, he felt this was sadly unsurprising, and yet he still held a certain love for Hidan, that he knew only he could understand being his twin, and being someone, the only one, who remembered his brother's caring side.

Ai soon came to leaving his own village much like his brother did, seeing that it no longer was a hidden village. He did so with permission to maintain his duty as a ninja and offer his skills to whoever contracted him or whichever village would take him in; however, many in his village, those who adored Ai, were against his departure. And though he would not heed their words, he understood their reluctance. Having the same face as his brother Hidan would be something that could turn into a heavy burden upon Ai. Notwithstanding, Ai didn't feel it right to give up his duty as a Shinobi, altogether, nor believed it fair to leave it all behind because of his brother's crimes within the ninja world, and he instead would simply seek somewhere else he could live without the shadow of his brother hanging over him.

He knew it would be an uphill battle, seeing none outside of the village even knew Hidan had a brother, so weren't likely to believe he was his twin, and thus, making it also likely he'd have to face many who sought his life for things his brother had done. But, Ai was prepared to face it all.


	2. Joining the Team

As he had expected, the journey was a long one, and increasingly, he began to understand the depth of his brother's crimes throughout the ninja world.

While some had taken to his kindness, others rejected Ai from the moment they saw him, believing him to be Hidan, the infamous Akatsuki member. Some ran, while most others threatened violence, but whatever they did, Ai did his best to not be of trouble to them, by either leaving their settlements and towns, or by trying to explain who he truly was, with the former usually being his better option.

_"How can I be of use to anyone as a ninja, when everyone hates me?"_ Ai pondered to himself. _"Could my brother have really been this terrible and his crimes have stretched so far?" _

As days passed by and the money Ai carried on his person began to dwindle, he started to doubt if any village would be accepting of him, and if any one of them _hadn't_ been affected in some way or another by the Akatsuki; however, many towns and villages held files on the members, so their faces had became well known enough, which made the situation Ai was in, exceptionally difficult.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but I guess it's my only option, at least, for now."

What Ai spoke of was his transformation jutsu; while he wasn't fond of having to hide his true face, Ai felt he'd have to gain others' trust by his actions, alone, before he could be accepted by them for who he was and what he looked like; though, the irony made Ai smirk, knowing he had to be somewhat dishonest about who he was to gain people's trust.

So with that, Ai changed from looking like Hidan, his brother, to a more inconspicuous Shinobi. His hair had gone from a light shade of silver to black and was now spiked upward. His purple eyes were changed to the color of dark brown, and his skin color became a bit more tanned. His facial structure changed along with him gaining some facial hair.

"This should do it." Ai said proudly to himself. "Now to keep looking for work."

Soon enough, Ai was able to find some minimal work within a small village a ways off from his own village, Yugakure. Though many in it seemed to have heard of the Akatsuki, being such the small village they were, they had no Shinobi of their own, and so didn't keep much of a tally on business within the Shinobi world. Most all specialized work they needed done, they'd simply contract a ninja of another village to do it for them, but Ai was different, in him offering his talent as a permanent resident, if at all possible.

At the end of the day, Ai bowed his head before the village's elders, kneeling before five of them. "I humbly beg you to grant this request. Please take me on as a permanent resident of this village. I only seek to help where I can with my skills as a Shinobi, and do promise to protect this village to the best of my abilities, even if all on my own." He pleaded to them, hoping their lack of Shinobi within the village would make it an easy choice for them.

"But we have no wages to pay a ninja on a frequent basis." One of the elders spoke up.

"And we have no desire to accept ninjas into our village as something permanent, as we do not seek to be involved in the wars in which they have with each other." Another elder explained. "And if we were to become involved in one of their little wars, _one_ Shinobi to protect us all would hardly do us any good."

"I see." Ai said, with his head held low in disappointment.

At that moment, it seemed to Ai that even with a different face, there would still be much rejection he'd have to endure before he could find somewhere new to call home as a ninja.

"But don't be discouraged." The first elder told him. "You see, we've contracted a few Shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Tree Leaves recently, and with luck, maybe they'll take you on."

"You believe so?" Ai had a faint hopefulness in his voice.

"You'll never know until you meet them, so stay here with us, and see if they'll take you along to join their ranks. They're very generous for Shinobi, those Leafers."

"Thank you so very much." Ai bowed his head once more.

_"This may be my chance at a new beginning, a new life as a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf."_ He thought as he smiled.

The two days Ai waited within the small village for the Leaf Shinobi to arrive, he was able to learn a few things about his brother Hidan, which he otherwise wouldn't have known had he not asked around, albeit in a conversational manner as not to arouse too much suspicion.

He learned that his brother had somehow gained immortality, rumored to having had joined up with a cult, but also that he had been defeated, though how wasn't all too clear.

_"So, Hidan gained himself immortality only to lose his life?"_ Ai wondered. _"I guess his crimes were bound to catch up to him someday, but I..."_ Ai thoughts began to wander as he remembered the older days when he saw his brother's care, his compassion, within his eyes. _"But I think I'll still miss him, even if no one else will."_

After two days, Ai was alerted to the Shinobi having arrived in the village. Their duty was to escort one of the village's citizens to a neighboring village, seeing that no harm came to her, as was pregnant and considered a very important person for both villages and their relations.

The Leaf Shinobi chosen to accomplish the task were _Nara Shikamaru,_ _Yamanaka Ino_,_ Sai_, and _Haruno Sakura_.

Shikamaru was chosen to be team leader and their strategist. Ino and Sakura were there for medical purposes, both for the team and the pregnant woman, while Sai was chosen to be their defense, and if need be, an escape route. The team arrived in a timely manner and likewise sought to leave in such a manner, but they were held up by the elders as a favor for Ai.

"You must wait; there is someone here wanting to see you." One of the elders told Shikamaru.

"Huh? Who is it?" Shikamaru asked, as he looked off in the direction they pointed.

After Ai suited up inside of the home he was given and again cast his transformation jutsu, he ran out to meet the team.

"Who is this?" Sai asked, with a usual expressionless face.

"It's the young lad we wanted you to meet."

"Meet? For what? I hope this isn't going to be a drag. We _really_ need to go." Shikamaru began feeling impatient for being held up.

"Hey! My name's Ai!" He yelled as he was off in the distance getting closer to the team. "I-I wanted to know if I could join your mission and maybe even your village!" He continued.

"What's this guy talking about?" Shikamaru spoke aloud.

"I don't know who he is, but he's kind of cute." Ino said aloud, to which Sakura agreed.

Shikamaru then gave a look of annoyance towards their words.

_"Ah, so what the book, "How Women Behave", says is true; they really can find agreement with attractive males in their vicinity."_ Sai thought as he continued to observe the moment.

As Ai finally got near, he quickly caught his breath and tried to properly introduce himself. "Hi, nice to meet you Leaf ninja. I'm Ai!" He smiled. The team looked at him wondering if he had anything more to say.

"Oh, I should probably fully explain why I'm introducing myself like this."

"Yeah, that'd be nice so we could get on with what we came here to actually do." Shikamaru stated quite frankly.

Ai felt slightly embarrassed feeling like he was holding up their mission and started to become quite apologetic, to which only annoyed Shikamaru even more.

"Enough with the apologizing, just get to it. What do you want with us? Are you a ninja of this Village? Because I was certain they didn't have any."

"Oh no," Ai explained. "You're correct. They have none. I only came here but two days ago as a traveler from another Hidden Village. I wanted to offer up my services permanently here as a Shinobi, but the elders denied me on the grounds they couldn't afford one, nor wanted part in Shinobi dealings. So they recommended I see you guys, seeing you're from a Hidden Village and are very friendly, I hear." Ai finished.

_"Is this guy serious? He wants to join our Village just like that? What happened to his own?"_ Shikamaru wondered.

"You'll have to speak with our Hokage about all of that; naturally, she's in charge and has all say on who gets to be apart of the Hidden Leaf." Shikamaru explained.

"Of course!" Ai said with no desire to complain, but instead to seem friendly and as welcoming as possible.

"In the meantime, would it be okay if I traveled with you, while you escorted the villager?"

"I don't know..." Shikamaru spoke skeptically.

"I think he should come along!" Ino declared.

"Yeah, sure why not!" Sakura enthusiastically backed her up.

"What about you, Sai? You think we should? I mean, we don't even know the guy." Shikamaru was hoping at that point to get a less biased vote.

But Ino and Sakura gave Sai a very serious and brooding look as if to influence his decision.

"Well, if the girls think it's fine, I trust their judgment." Sai stated only hoping he wouldn't cause any trouble, or get struck by either one.

"Three to one! He comes!" Sakura yelled as she and Ino became giddy.

_"Oh boy..."_ thought Shikamaru. _"What a drag it's going to be guard this pregnant woman and some complete stranger. I guess if the elders are okay with him, we don't have to be too worried, since our villages have had ties for awhile now."_

"Okay fine. He can come, but we're not responsible for what happens to to you, understood?" Shikamaru made clear to the "newest member" of the team.

"Definitely." Ai complied, happy as could be.

Soon they were off. And though it was a slow start because the pregnant woman insisted on walking part of the way, it was somewhat enjoyable for the whole group, as Ino and Sakura believed they'd get to spend more time with Ai, the "new member", Sai felt he had more time to observe female behavior, and the pregnant woman and Ai were enjoying the scenery around them on the road. Shikamaru seemed to be the only one not actually enjoying himself, but being the usual complainer, no one really noticed, especially being preoccupied as they all were.

_"Something's just off with this guy."_ Shikamaru thought, as he stared Ai's way. _"He just wants to be apart of the Leaf Village coming out from nowhere; I mean, does he even have any real skills as a Shinobi?"_

As Ai continued to look around, he suddenly noticed Shikamaru's view upon himself, which Shikamaru showed he wasn't shy about.

_"I wonder why he's looking at me like that. I'm certain he can't see through my transformation... can he?"_ Ai gulped and continued to act as natural as he could.

"Hey, look everyone!" Ai yelled, trying to draw everyone's attention elsewhere. "It's a lavender periblossom."

"Oh, I've never seen this type of flower before." Ino stated, being one knowledgeable in the subject. "Me and my bro would come across these all the time back at our village. He'd called me a sissy for wanting to pick them though." Ai gave a chuckle as he reminisced without much worry.

"Oh, you have a brother?" Sakura asked. "Well, if he's half as cute as you, then he's a knockout!" Ino joked.

"Well, we definitely look alike since he's my tw-" Just then Ai remembered he was trying to keep it a secret that he had a twin brother, until he could he knew others trusted him, and wouldn't suspect him to being his own brother, once he dropped the disguise.

"You're _tw-?_" Sai asked. "My _tw-tw_erp of a brother is all. No need to go on about him. We should keep moving." Ai tried to laugh the situation off.

"Here." Ai handed some of the periblossoms to the pregnant woman as she walked along."They're great for making one feel relaxed and at ease. Just smell them." She then took them and agreed with Ai feeling the effects of the flower on herself.

Shikamaru noted this action by Ai, but also noted how suspicious he seemed to get when talking about his "twerp" of a brother, so he decided to delve a bit deeper, knowing it'd be awhile before they actually got to where the woman needed to be, and wanting to keep her safe, he wanted to make absolute certain Ai wasn't there to try anything harmful.

"So, _Ai_, is it?" Shikamaru asked. "You mentioned your village, just awhile back. Anything else about it you want to share? It'll definitely be something the Hokage wants to know."

Feeling the pressure Shikamaru was giving him, Ai decided he'd tried to be as brief as possible, hoping nothing obvious would slip out giving them a hint as to who he truly was.

"Well, I'm from Yugakure..." And as he shared this, Ai looked at Shikamaru, in shock, realizing he just gave away a more evident point toward his true identity.

"What's wrong? I've heard of the Village before." Shikamaru began wondering about the look on Ai's face.

"Well, uh, nothing. It's just that, uh, I realize that, it's probably not going to gain me any credit, coming from a village that doesn't even utilize its ninjas anymore."

"It's better than lying."

Ai chuckled and agreed. "Of course, of course. I wasn't suggesting that's what I should have done. Just... that... maybe... I could have, hahah." Feeling he didn't really have an excuse, he tried to change he subject.

"So, have you ever heard of the Akatsuki?" Just then Ai again felt he made an idiot's mistake, bringing up the very group his twin brother was apart of.

"Have I? Who hasn't. One of the deadliest band of ninjas this world's ever seen. I had the displeasure of facing them personally. And one, in particular, by myself." Shikamaru was looking out of the side of his eye toward Ai. Ai caught a chill down his spine and chose to break eye contact with Shikamaru.

"W-who was it? ... if you don't mind me asking." Ai again wondered if his brother had to do with someone he had met.

"I do mind, actually, so we can drop this topic." Shikamaru stated bluntly.

As they walked on forward, Ai was now feeling as though he was under the watchful eyes of Shikamaru, and that part of it was his own fault for behaving so oddly around him.

But for the whole team, they didn't yet realize the trouble they were walking into, as a gang of rogue Shinobi readied themselves to confront them, preparing to kidnap the pregnant woman they were protecting.


	3. Proving One's Worth

_"What am I going to do?"_ Ai thought. _"I have this guy pressuring me, and if it keeps going this way, he might find out who I am, and then it's back to square one. I need some opportunity, any opportunity to prove I'm not a bad guy."_

As he pondered these things, there came an unfamiliar group of rogue ninja who made their presence known. They quickly surrounded the team, emerging from bushes near the side of the wide road they were walking along.

"This is as far as you go." The leader of the five stated.

_"This might be just the opportunity I needed."_ Ai was ecstatic on the inside, feeling he'd get to prove not only his skill, but his worth and loyalty to the Leaf Villagers. He readied himself for battle.

"And just _who_ are you?" Shikamaru questioned the rogues' leader, fully prepared to defend the pregnant woman they were escorting.

"That's not really anything you should be concerned with." The leader replied. "What you really should be focused on is giving over the woman you're protecting, and figuring out how you'll be walking away from this alive." The look he gave Shikamaru was one filled with hostility. "If you give her over quickly, we just might consider letting you brats walk away with only _minor_ injuries." He spoke snidely.

Shikamaru gave a smirk, feeling fully confident enough to take down the rogues. He believed any ninjas that couldn't take advantage of the element of surprise they had over their targets couldn't have been as skilled as they were trying to let on. "Is _that_ supposed to scare us?" He asked quite haughtily, knowing it'd get under their skin. "Sai, get ready. Ino, Sakura, you both know what to do." He began giving out command.

Sai nodded making his way to the woman's right, and Shikamaru stood to the woman's front. Ino and Sakura, stood to the woman's left and back, respectively. Sai then looked Ai's way, who was, in a way, out of place and hadn't been given an order. "You too." Sai spoke to him, hoping he'd find a place to fit into the formation.

But before Ai could set himself anywhere, Shikamaru gave out more specific commands. "Ino, Sakura, your job is to stay close to her, just in case she needs medical attention. Sai, if it gets to it, you haul out of here as fast as possible. We're to protect the woman at **_all_**costs." Shikamaru prepped for his shadow possession.

Everyone knew their position, and knew what they had to do, save for Ai, who would decide on his own how to make himself useful.

"All right!" The rogue leader yelled, becoming irate. "We were _trying_ to be nice, seeing that you're just a bunch of kids, and we _weren't_planning on killing the woman. We were_ just_ going to kill what's she's carrying, but now that you've ignored my warning, you've pissed me off!"

For a moment, he waited to see if the Leaf Villagers would make the first move.

"Take no prisoners men!" He then yelled.

One of them moved swiftly and found himself behind the woman, and facing Sakura.

"Just a medical ninja dame." He smiled crookedly, and lifted his arm to strike Sakura in her face, but she effectively stopped his attack, much to his surprise.

"Just a medical ninja dame, huh?" Sakura prepared a punch and struck him in his open chest, which left him not only stunned in expression, but motionless on the ground from the intensity and power of the blow.

"Serves you right." Ino smiled at his expense.

"All right, so you're tougher than we first thought, but that was just to test the waters." The leader stated. "You're going to definitely feel the full force of our attack now!"

The other four rogues, including the leader, then swiftly jumped into the air.

_"This is my chance."_ Ai thought to himself. He then wove a few hands signs which caused the ground to rumble, as the rogues were on the attack from above.

_"What's happening?"_ Shikamaru thought.

"Take this!" One of the rogues cried out. Three kunai flew out of the sky down toward the woman who began to feel pain in her abdomen, but all of the weapons were deflected by Ino.

"Super beast scro-" Sai was cut off in his preparation to draw up a defense against the ninja by cause of the ground shaking more violently and cracking open in certain parts. Steam began to be released, and rapidly covered the area.

One of the rogues used a fire jutsu coupled with another rogue's large shuriken weapon, which split his fire into four separate, spinning flames meant to engulf the Leaf Shinobi, the woman, and Ai from above.

However, with the thick steam having veiled the region by the time it reached their position, the rogues couldn't see if they actually caught them within the fire.

"Did we get them?" One of them asked as they landed near to each other.

"I doubt it, or else they'd be screaming in pain. But..." The one who sent the fire began to ponder. "What's up with all this damn fog?"

"I don't think it's fog, it feels... heated." Another stated, after a closer observation.

"Whatever it is, find the woman in it; we have a mission to complete." The leader stated growing more annoyed by the second.

But as he, himself, prepared to look through the steam for the woman, he realized he was stuck in place.

"Shadow possession complete." Shikamaru said.

"What the hell is this!?" The leader panicked.

"Super beast scroll!" Sai yelled, this time completing his jutsu.

And through the steam, three beasts came to attack the rogues.

The three that weren't confined by Shikamaru's jutsu dodged the beasts, leaving their leader by himself.

"Hey! Hey! Come back you bastards! Get me outta this!" He shouted in vain.

As one of the other 3 searched through the steam, he was met with the full force of Sakura's punch. He yelled out just before dropping, which caused the other two to feel more fearful.

"What's going on? How come we can't see them but they can see us in all this fog?"

One of the rogues decided to bail, feeling he'd not make it out alive if he didn't, but as he did so, he had a run in with his leader. "Boss, so happy it's just you. We gotta get out of here. Something fishy's going on." But as he calmed himself down, he was viciously attacked by his own leader, who had just been mind switched with Ino. He screamed, leaving the last other ninja unable to figure out what to do.

"This was a bad idea. We're sorry. Hear me!?" He pleaded to the Leaf Shinobi, hoping they'd spare at least him. Ino then released the leader, who was finished off by Shikamaru's shadow strangle.

As the steam dissipated, the last of the rogues saw the Leaf Shinobi standing, and facing toward himself. He also saw the pregnant woman among them, and believed it to be his chance to kill her, taking down one of their own for the slaughter of his whole gang. He lunged in for the attack, but Ai intercepted him with a knee to the gut.

"He's fast..." The rogue thought as the pain set in.

After weaving the necessary hand signs, Ai placed his hand on the rogue's face, and he was immediately engulfed in steam, burning him. The rogue screamed in extreme pain.

Shikamaru and the others looked on in awe. "Is this... what he's capable of?" Shikamaru thought to himself.

After finishing the struggle with the rogues, and after all the steam cleared, Ino and Sakura checked on their pregnant traveler to make certain she hadn't become overly stressed during the battle. Ai, on the other hand, waited by himself on the side of the road, while Sai and Shikamaru talked among themselves.

"Hey you!" Shikamaru called over to Ai after having confirmed a matter with Sai.

"Huh? Me? Did I... do something?"

"No, just get over here. You're part of the team, right?"

"Part of the ... team?" Ai was shocked.

"Are you coming? Because we don't have all day." Shikamaru said with impatience.

Ai then ran over, somewhat expecting this to all be a joke. "What ... is it?"

"Thanks for the assistance back there. You really helped us with that steam you stirred up."

"It was nothing, really. Just something I learned back in my own village." Ai was truly happy that they'd acknowledged his part in the battle, but was fearful of getting too ahead of himself, and so restrained his emotions.

"But, I'm curious. How were we able to see, while the rogues couldn't?" Shikamaru questioned him.

"Well, I control the steam with my chakra, and so, I can sort of feel each presence within it. I then make the steam clearer for comrades while making visibility impossible for the others. Even though we haven't been working together long, I made a guess as to who was who within the steam by the way you guys move."

Sai and Shikamaru looked at each other as if to both question what he was talking about, and Ai continued to explain.

"Your movements were as I expected them to be; they felt, well, decisive and swift, while the rogues movements felt more random and impulsive. And it did help that they were in the air when the steam first reached you guys. I made a choice from there." He finished.

"That's pretty great, but what if you chose wrong?" Shikamaru continued to inquire.

Ai laughed nervously. "Well, I guess one of you would have been in serious trouble!"

Sai and Shikamaru weren't all too amused by his answer, but still appreciative of and impressed with how he helped out.

"Thanks again for the assistance. I think I was wrong about you." Shikamaru stated.

"Huh? Really?" Things were seeming too good to be true, for Ai, but he began embracing what was unraveling before him; that is, his being accepted.

"Yeah, I thought for certain that you couldn't be trusted, but the way you had our backs back there, I think we can actually trust you with our lives."

"Shikamaru's right." Sai added. "Your cover made it extraordinarily easy for us to take down those guys, protect the woman, and do so with no harm come to anyone in our group." He smiled.

"Gee, I just did what anyone on a mission would do." Ai stated humbly, but still felt proud.

Shikamaru then gave a look as though he were trying to figure something out, before coming to a conclusion. "I'll definitely be mentioning this to the Hokage." He stated with certainty.

Ai felt more encouraged by the second, believing he had gotten his chance to show his worth, and the way it seemed, make new friends in the process.

After Sakura and Ino confirmed the woman's health was well, Sai drew up a beast for her to rest on as they continued on down the road, though it at first frightened her.

"Gee, Sai, do you want her to go into labor right here?" Shikamaru said with a dissatisfied look, as he lead the group. "Okay guys, let's make certain we have a plan just in case something like that happens again, and this time, Ai, you're certain to be included in on it."

Ai felt truly apart of the team as Shikamaru stated this. But then began to wonder about his disguise. "Hopefully," He thought to himself, "When I do reveal who I am truthfully, they trust me enough to not get rid of me."

As daylight faded, the team found a camping spot, and as they all rested, and the pregnant woman slept, the group began to talk, getting to know the newest member, better.

"So, you really didn't say much about yourself. I know I seemed tough before, but we'd really like to know who you are if you plan on becoming part of our Village." Shikamaru stated.

"Yes, please do share. I'm truly interested, especially after seeing how you work." Sai added, as he contemplated nicknames to give to Ai.

"Yes please!" Both Sakura and Ino agreed, gleefully.

"Uh, oh, okay, well..." Ai began feeling on the spot. _"What do I say? I guess I can share a few vague memories of me and my brother. They shouldn't be able to trace it back."_

"Well, as you know, my name's Ai, and I'm from Yugakure." He started. "I'm a Shinobi who didn't want to give up my dream, but after my village became a tourist attraction, I almost had to do just that. So, instead, I got permission to leave, and become of use somewhere else. It wasn't easy, but I found some work, and eventually was led to you all."

The team was very attentive, wondering about this new stranger.

"As a child, I was considered somewhat "soft" to be a ninja, and that was especially so with my own brother. He was much tougher than myself, and considered me a wussy. But even though he thought this, he still would look out for me, and ultimately helped me to becoming the ninja I am today. He left the village some time ago, before I did; I haven't seen my brother since, and sadly, I don't believe I ever will again."

"Did something happen?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Yeah, he got into some..." Ai averted his saddened eyes toward the ground. "some trouble, and was killed in action, I've heard."

"I'm so sorry." Ino stated as she held both her hands together and close to her chest.

"That is quite sad, as I know what it feels like to lose a brother." Sai followed.

"I, uh, I'm really sorry for giving you such a tough time. The way you saved us back there, and now hearing this..." Shikamaru said with some remorse.

"It's okay. You do what you have to as a Shinobi, and being suspicious of strangers until things are in the clear is apart of the job." Ai reassured him.

Shikamaru then gave a smile. "Yeah, thanks for understanding."

"Tomorrow, we should be able to complete the mission, since the village we're heading towards is only a day's walk away." Sai told the group just before everyone packed in to sleep.

Ai went to bed feeling like a brand new Shinobi, while the others fell asleep happy to have made a new friend.

What the team hadn't known though, was that the very village they were headed towards had planned on them not appearing at all. So their arrival would come as a very unpleasant surprise, for those in charge.


	4. Remembering Hidan

"So, have the assassins been paid?" A dark figure stated as he kneel before the elders of the village.

"Yes and as of this moment, they should have already completed the task of killing the woman and her unborn child." One of the elders replied.

* * *

_A meeting, in the dark of night, was being held regarding the pregnant woman whom Shikamaru and the others were guarding. It was a meeting that only those involved were aware of, as they plotted to take over, becoming the permanent rulers of the village._

_It had been for many years that this village and the one from which the pregnant woman originated were at odds, but to prevent further disputes and to give incentive for both villages to not destroy the other, they set their highest and most respected families up for an arranged marriage, between the daughter of one village and the eldest son of the other._

_Though the union of the two was very welcomed by both families, the younger brother of the son to marry disagreed with it all, believing their own village to be strong enough with young men to defeat and overtake the other; however, after the eldest son had already married and, months later, impregnated his bride, he felt there to be no more chance to convince the elders and other villagers to do as he pleased._

_There soon came a small opening though, and that was that his now sister in law be delivered safely to her husband's village to live with their child. _

_Having only been in his wife's village because of her shyness, once she eventually came to falling in love with her husband, after some time had passed, they promised to someday return to his village, and this was to be the duty of her own to escort her there safely. But before then, her husband had to go away for other business dealings of his village, for a time, leaving her solely in their care._

_If the younger brother could cause them to fail, by his brother losing his bride and child, then they'd surely choose to wipe out their long time enemies, he believed, and he'd come to eventually overtaking his elder brother's position as leader and giving the elders what they were promised in power._

_Now the Leaf Shinobi and Ai were caught in the middle of it all, unbeknownst to them._

_Meanwhile, in the same night of this meeting, Ai was having a dream, or rather, recalling a memory of his brother Hidan as he slept, which seemed to happen more often after Hidan left the village._

* * *

"How in the hell can't you swim!?" Hidan yelled at his timid younger sibling.

"I-I don't know!" Ai answered, not knowing how else to explain himself. He tried to keep from making eye contact, feeling slightly embarrassed at such a truth.

"You're _supposed_ to be a Shinobi, and you don't know how to swim!? How is that possible!? Didn't they test you for this or did you skip the lesson, you wussy?"

"Look, are you going to teach me or not, Hidan? I only asked you because y-you're my brother, and you should want to help me!" Ai tried to stand up for himself.

"Fine, fine. I'll teach ya, but don't get all pissy with me." Hidan looked at Ai through dismissive eyes, and with arms folded. "Because really, I don't have to do a damn thing; brother or not. I guess I'm just feeling generous today, Ai." Hidan then took a harsher tone. "You better listen to every damn thing I say! You hear me you wussy!? If you make me waste any of my time with you, I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Ai's face filled with a subtle fear towards his brother's threat, knowing Hidan would just as soon fulfill it, with Ai having been the object of his rage for years at this point.

Ai gulped. "O-okay, Hidan. I promise I'll listen, and I'll learn really quickly, too."

For some time, Hidan kept Ai in shallow waters as he taught him the basics, but after having grown impatient, he tempted his brother to travel into deeper water, so that he'd learn faster.

"Just swim out there, and if you need any help, call me. I'm gonna go take a nap." Hidan left Ai, and went to lay in nearby grass.

Though Ai was scared to venture into deep waters, he was more afraid of what his brother would do if he didn't do as he stated. But once Ai swam further out, he began having trouble staying afloat.

"H-hidan, h-h-help.." Ai began to choke on the water, as he flailed his arms trying to reach the land again.

As Ai began to sink, beginning to lose consciousness, he wondered if it was a right choice to be a ninja; if all along he should have just given up on trying to be something he might not have been cut out for. But just before he faded out completely, he felt a hand grasp his own.

It was that of Hidan who had heard his cries and calling out, and made it to Ai just in time.

"Damn this. You can't do anything right; you act like a total bitch in everything; how are you ever gonna be a real Shinobi?" Hidan continued his berating of Ai until he got his brother back to land.

While on his hands and knees, Ai coughed up water before giving his big brother a look of awe, as Hidan stood next to him. Ai looked on as his own eyes began to tear up.

_"Great, now the wussy's gonna cry, too?"_ Hidan thought as he looked down on his brother.

Suddenly, Ai jumped up and embraced his older brother, much to Hidan's surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing, Ai!?" Hidan tried to force Ai away, to no avail.

"Thank you so much, big brother." Ai sniffled as the tears streamed from his eyes. "I promise, for you, I'll be the best ninja I can be. I won't give up, no matter what, and I'll always remember how you saved me." Ai finished.

"Yeah, yeah. Sheesh, can you let me go now?" Hidan blushed, beginning to feel a bit embarrassed.

* * *

Once daylight came, the Leaf Shinobi, the woman, and Ai all prepared to head toward their goal, though Ai went off from the group for a bit to be alone in his thoughts, recollecting the dream he recently had. His eyes teared up, as he thought about how he wouldn't be able to see his brother again.

"Hidan, you idiot." He said under his breath. "Why'd you go and get yourself killed... I really miss our times together, and even faintly hoped, that maybe... one day, we could be apart of the same Shinobi squad. You saved me, but why ... why couldn't I do the same for you?" Ai looked off in the distance, as if hoping his brother would come down the road he stood on.

"Hey, are you coming or what? We still do have a mission to complete, you know." Shikamaru spoke in Ai's direction.

"Huh? Oh, yes." Ai complied. He headed over to the group, where the pregnant woman was lifted onto a beast Sai drew up, and they were soon on their way.

* * *

Once their destination was reached after a day's walk, as the sun began setting, the group announced themselves within the village, hoping the villagers would come to greet them after completing their task.

"Hey! Anyone here?" Shikamaru spoke, as he and the others looked all around them.

"It seems so deserted." Sakura added.

"Maybe they're all in bed?" Sai spoke in a jovial tone.

"This early though?" Ino questioned him.

Ai remained silent as he scoped out the town wondering if there was a trap set for them, but almost immediately after they all spoke, they were greeted by a young man, seemingly a nobleman, by the way that he dressed.

"Hello dear travelers, and dear sister in law!" He spoke in an eager tone.

'Hello, brother in law." The pregnant woman gave a half hearted reply. "Where is everyone?"

"I'm afraid there's some bad news, dear sister in law." Her brother in law took a sullen tone, and looked down with a grieved expression.

"What is it?" She asked him, showing clear concern.

"You see, a few warriors hired to protect our village were recently killed, and so... after getting word of this by someone sent to watch over them, the villagers were urgently told to take refuge some ways off until given word to come back, because of the approaching danger."

"That's terrible!" The spoke as she covered her mouth in shock.

Sai then cut in. "If you don't mind me asking, just what is the approaching danger you needed to hire warriors for?"

"Why," He began subtly laughing. "Why it's you all!" He then jumped back swiftly from the group.

The Leaf Shinobi took defensive positions.

"What do you mean, _it's us_?" Sakura asked grinding her teeth and balling her fists, perceivably ready for a fight.

"You just _couldn't_ go with the men, could you, sister in law. You _had_ to be stubborn and bring trouble to our village. Well, here's some news for you, I won't let you or your village be a burden to us anymore!"

As he stated this, a gang of Shinobi came out for the attack. Before the group got a chance to respond to each other, they were all split up, and the woman taken hostage by one of the gang.

"Let me go!" The woman yelled as she tried her best to wriggle free.

"You've done your jobs, so why don't you brats just leave?" The brother in law questioned the Leaf Shinobi in a mocking tone, as they all faced down a hired Shinobi of his.

"We're not done here, til we know she's safe." Ino answered.

"Oh well then, it's your funerals!" The brother in law then directed his attention toward the woman. "All I wanted was to better our village, but my brother had to agree to this whole arranged marriage, and now that kid will ruin everything! I'll never get my chance to run this village right, or to take over the spineless village you call home, you wench!" He went on ranting toward the woman. "But ending you right now will fix all of that!"

_"Damn, the clouds are covering the moonlight, so it's too dark to use my shadow possession." _As Shikamaru tried to quickly think up a solution to their problem, he nor anyone else realized Ai had already performed necessary hand signs he needed to gain an advantage.

Instantly, the ground began to crack under the man who held the woman hostage, and steam was released from directly beneath him, burning his skin and allowing the woman time to escape.

"Team!" Shikamaru yelled, giving them command to act.

"Right!" They all replied in unison.

"Super beast scroll!" Sai's beast immediately went on a rampage toward the ninja, taking them by surprise, and helping Shikamaru to take down the Shinobi he faced off with.

At the same time, Ino used taijustsu to fend off he Shinobi she was facing, while Sakura punched the one she faced, knocking him down with one blow.

The brother in law was shocked to see his hired assasins fall so easy.

"What!? How!?" He yelled out

"So, I take it you're the reason we had that little run in with those sorry excuses for ninja?" Shikamaru spoke.

"I knew you didn't like me much, brother in law, but why?" The woman asked, as she shielded her stomach and Ino rushed to her aid.

"I would have had it all, but that insufferable brother of mine, that pathetic excuse for a leader, had to accept this stupid treaty and ruin our village. I'm only sorry he couldn't be here to watch you die before I killed him as well!"

These words hung in the air, to Ai. Hearing someone go on so spitefully about their own brother struck a nerve with him.

"Stop it!" Ai yelled, as he thought about his own brother, knowing he couldn't see him again.

"You're filth! Worse than filth if that's how you think of your own brother!"

The others looked on at Ai in awe.

"He did something for you, for the whole village, and all you can think about is yourself! You can't appreciate your brother being here for you!" He continued on. "We should just end you right now!"

The brother in law fell over in fear, unable to competently defend himself.

And as Ai ran toward the man to end his life, he was abruptly stopped by Shikamaru's shadow possession, aided now by the light of the moon.

"I can't imagine how you feel, when he was speaking about his brother like that, knowing you lost your own..." Shikamaru started. "But a guy like this poses no threat to us, so we should let his own family handle it." He spoke calmly.

Ai was reluctant, but he eventually came to complying with Shikamaru, who then released him.

After they tied the brother in law up, and sent Sakura to retrieve the other villagers, Ai spoke with Shikamaru again about his own brother, Hidan.

"I'm sorry how I reacted... I just... I had a dream about my brother, and was reminded of him, and how he saved my life, how he did a lot of different things for me, just so I could be better. When he spoke about his own brother like that..." Ai clenched his fists. "It made me so... angry. His brother is doing what he can to help the village, and he doesn't care. He'd rather be a murderer of his brother's own wife and child, than appreciate what he has... what some of us have lost..."

"I'm certain your brother was a great guy, and that he'd be proud to know what kind of ninja you've become, the one he helped make you to be. But you can't let guys like that get to you. Trust me. I've faced some pretty hateful guys; one being from the Akatsuki who insulted and murdered my sensei. But you can't let them shake you up, or you'll end up their victim in the long run."

Without giving much thought to what Shikamaru stated about the Akatsuki member, Ai began to tear up from Shikamaru's helpful words, and lunged in to give him a hug.

"All right, all right. No need to get all emotional." Shikamaru stated aloud. "Such a drag!" He thought still allowing Ai to hug him.

* * *

After matters had been settled, the villagers returned, along with the elders, too, who were held in custody of the Leaf Shinobi until the woman's husband and leader of the village returned, which was the next day.

He swiftly dealt out punishment toward his brother's treason, as well as the elders, and thanked the Leaf Shinobi.

"Don't thank us." Shikamaru stated. "We were just doing what we're trained and paid to do. But you can thank this guy." He said as he gestured toward Ai. "He's not even being paid for this, but has helped save your wife and child, twice now."

"Thank you young man." Both the husband and the wife thanked Ai. "You truly are an honorable Shinobi."

The group then headed home, to where Ai was anxious for their whole journey.

* * *

Once back at the Leaf Village, Ai was introduced at the entrance and allowed into the village to meet with the Hokage; and with recommendations from Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, and Sai, he was on a fast track to becoming a Leaf Villager and Shinobi. They only had need to thoroughly check his background, so that they knew they could trust him.

He was given a place to stay within the Village walls, until all was cleared and he could fully call it home.

While on a stroll through the village, with his transformation jutsu active, Ai found himself worrying about what the Leaf would find in his background.

"It's not bad enough that I'm the brother of an Akatsuki member," He thought. "But I'm also a twin, which they could easily confuse with being Hidan, altogether. What if they find out, how do I explain?" He pondered.

Ai couldn't shake these thoughts, fully worried that he'd be ousted sooner than he hoped. But as he walked along, he saw two children fighting over a simple toy, tugging between each other over who'd get to play with it.

"It's mine!"

"No, it's mine, big brother! Stop it!"

They yelled, and Ai looked on. He then decided to step in where they and many children were playing games, such as good ninja versus bad ninja.

"Okay, look here. This is your brother, so be nice and share, okay!" Ai told them, taking the toy from both.

"You're his older brother, so he's going to look to you for a lot of support and encouragement. You have to show him what a true big brother does for his younger sibling, even if he does sometimes get on your nerves." Ai said smiling. The two brothers then began to reconcile.

As he patted them on their heads, a stray kunai flew in and hit Ai in the shoulder, breaking his concentration on his transformation without his realizing it. It had been thrown by a group of kids playing around.

"We're sorry mister! Really sorry!" They said as they ran over to help him up.

"It's okay." Ai said with a pained expression, pulling the kunai out. "I'll just go get patched up, but you kids be careful playing around with those or someone could get seriously hurt."

"We will. We won't throw anymore. Promise." They told him.

Ai then left off to get his wound patched, but he didn't realize the face he now showed was that of his twin, his true face.

"Boy, how do I explain getting injured like this by a few kids?" Ai thought feeling somewhat mortified.

Ai then saw Shikamaru walking his way, as he headed toward the medical center, and while still pressing down on his wounded shoulder, he called toward his new friend.

"Hey Shikamaru!"

As he did this, complete and utter shock came across Shikamaru's face upon seeing Ai; once more, he was encountering one he was certain he'd buried forever; one he thought he'd never face again for as long as he lived; one who killed his sensei and showed no remorse; one named, Hidan.

_"Shikamaru's acting like he's seen a ghost or something."_ Ai thought as he waved.

"Y-you..." Shikamaru couldn't muster himself to say much more. He thought about when Hidan said he'd come back for him, and he couldn't believe his eyes that it was actually happening.

"B-bu..." He stood perfectly still in fear, confusion, and panic, as though someone had used shadow possession on him, and wouldn't allow his movement.

"Shikamaru, what's wrong?" Ai asked him.

_"He's... mocking me..."_ This was all Shikamaru could conclude, as Ai spoke calmly to him, still unknowing of his face.

_"I don't get what's wrong."_ Ai thought. And as he began to again question Shikamaru's shock, Shinobi from Anbu dropped in, and surrounded Ai and Shikamaru.

"Don't even think about trying anything funny. We've surrounded you, and know exactly how you work, Hidan." One of the Anbu spoke behind his mask.

"H-hidan...?" Ai was suddenly alert, as he held his wound.

"But... I..." Ai gulped, and as he looked toward the clear glass on the hospitals windows, he saw the truth, and was amazed.

"How... what happe-" And just then he remembered how he got his wound. _"I guess that's how it happened."_ He thought.

"I can explain..." Ai began.

"Save it. Infiltrating our village while pretending to be some helpful Shinobi is the least of your crimes. We've been watching you this whole time, _"Ai"_, just to be certain you weren't some spy, but turns out, it's much worse than we thought. It's Akatsuki. But don't worry, " The Anbu Shinobi continued. "Now that you're in our strong hold, we'll make sure the job gets done, when we put an end to your terror."

And they all prepared to attack Ai, to take him into their custody, alive... or slain.


	5. Escaping the Leaf

_What was Ai to do now that his face had been revealed and because of it, ANBU had mistaken him for his own brother? Ai believed there to be only one thing he could do, and that was escape the Leaf._

* * *

As the ANBU rushed in toward Ai, Shikamaru stood in place watching, still in awe that he was facing an old and most hated enemy.

_"All this time,"_ Shikamaru gulped as sweat beads rolled down the side of his face, which showed to be in a clear state of shock. _"He had been deceiving us, just to get into the village. He could have... I might not be... "_ Shikamaru continued thinking on the possibilities of what could have been done by one who he believed to be the infamous Hidan, and while he thought, he hadn't realized the same Shinobi coming his way.

_"I'm sorry Shikamaru, but I have to do this,"_ Ai thought to himself, before swiftly taking hold of Shikamaru by the collar, from behind. "Make any sudden movements, and I'll have this Shinobi's head to hang on the wall," Ai spoke to the ANBU who halted their motion.

Ai had a kunai pulled, leaning it against Shikamaru's jugular. After what he had heard about such special ops, he knew the best chance he had of getting away from them was taking a hostage, though he regretted every moment of what was happening.

"You know I'll do it! So back off!" Ai became more forceful in his tone, though he could feel it being against his nature. _"I'm only making things worse, but I don't know any other way to get out of here,"_ he lamented in thought.

Shikamaru, being so out of it, couldn't bring himself to so much as lift a finger for his own sake, and for Ai, this was fortunate in him taking Shikamaru as a hostage.

The ANBU, not being trained to look out for fellow Shinobi, but rather to get the job done at hand, hesitated, knowing Shikamaru was no ordinary Shinobi of the Leaf, but the greatest strategist the village had. It would be unfortunate to lose him, they thought, and so they knew they needed to approach this differently than how they normally would.

"Hidan, you monster. You've already taken the life of this young Shinobi's Sensei and now you've come back to finish the job, it seems," one ANBU, in charge, stated behind his mask.

A look of subtle shock came upon Ai's face after hearing this. _"H-Hidan killed his sensei...?"_ Ai faintly thought. _"I can't... no, I can believe it, but... who would have imagined things would have turned out like... this."_

As ai's eyes were directed toward the ground, being lost in his thoughts on such a strange twist of fate, the ANBU decided to capitalize on the moment.

"He's let his guard down!" One ANBU yelled, of the five present. They again rushed Ai, with one having thrown a kunai towards Ai's hand, injuring it, and making him drop his weapon, while also letting Shikamaru loose.

"Aaah!" Ai yelled. But he quickly performed his jutsu, though in pain, as he barely dodged the swipes and attacks of the ANBU Shinobi.

Once the ground began cracking, Ai knew it was his chance to make his way toward the exit of the village. "He's getting away!" One of the Shinobi yelled out, which seemed to snap Shikamaru out of his daze. He looked over in Ai's direction as he dashed.

_"I can't do this. I can't stand and do nothing,"_ Shikamaru thought to himself. _"I have to stop this maniac at all costs. Why am I surprised that an immortal ninja returned? I should have expected this, but now... I can't worry about that. I have to stop him because if he gets away, another person will have to deal with his psychotic ways, and I'm not willing to let that happen." _Shikamaru then prepared his Shadow Stitching technique to stop Ai from getting away.

But before it could reach him, steam was released into the air, which immediately made it hard for him to detect Ai's whereabouts.

"_Damn, I should have done something sooner,"_ Shikamaru thought with regret.

* * *

Meanwhile, with visibility now on his side, Ai continued to make his escape. He knew he'd have to be swift with getting out or else he'd soon be spotted again, since his jutsu covered only so much ground.

Ai held onto his still wounded shoulder, which was opposite to the injured hand he was using to hold it. "I'll have to find somewhere to patch these up and then lay low for awhile," he said rushing forward. Ai ground his teeth in frustration, guilt, and sadness. "Why did this have to happen? It was going so well, until... I should have known it'd be impossible for me to remain a Shinobi, but..." Ai recalled the promise he made to Hidan as a child. "I made a promise, and I plan to keep it, to honor the caring memory of my brother. Even if it's not with this village, I'm going to be the best Shinobi I can be, but first I have to make it out of here alive."

The ANBU and Shikamaru were quite lost in the steam jutsu, but Shikamaru was not at all content with letting an Akatsuki member slide out of his grip, and one he had felt such a deep hatred against. He would stop him, even if at the cost of his own life.

Shikamaru moved forward, though having no clue where to go, hoping soon he'd find his way through.

Outside of the steam, Hidden Leaf Shinobi were trying to figure out what the jutsu was exactly, and if it were an attack on their village. Many did their best to usher away civilians who were in awe at the steam's sudden and mysterious appearance, while other Shinobi reported to _the Fifth_ with their limited findings, awaiting orders on what to do next.

Ai rushed forward, and as he dashed through his own jutsu, he soon came to it's end.

As suddenly as he appeared, the crowd was startled by Ai's presence as he shot passed them all. However, two of the Shinobi who were handling the crowd seemed to recognize the face that zipped by them, and gave each other a look mixed with terror and shock.

As Ai neared the village exit, he gave a small sigh of relief, believing his steam to have caused enough confusion to keep anyone else off his tail, but he so soon would realize this wasn't the case.

He was stopped by the two Shinobi who recognized him all too well.

It was Kotetsu and Izumo. After having seen his face, they had quickly surmised that he had to have been the cause of the mysterious steam, and that his having come running out of it like a mad man only showed as proof of this. They believed, as Leaf Shinobi, it was their duty to capture him, knowing he was up to no good and couldn't be allowed to walk free.

"So we meet again, you deranged bastard," Izumo spoke.

"And it looks like someone already got to him." Kotetsu noticed the wounds on Ai's hand and shoulder, by the blood that trickled down his arms.

_"I don't have the skill to face every Shinobi in the Leaf,"_ Ai thought to himself, as he tried to figure his way out of the situation. _"Maybe I should just turn myself in? Maybe it'll give me a chance to explain everythi-"_

But before Ai could finish his thought, Shikamaru came almost flying from behind him. He zipped straight passed Ai before turning himself to fully face him, as he stood alongside Izumo and Kotetsu blocking the exit.

The look in his eye was one of a stern determination, and as though he had every move he wanted to make fully planned out.

Before Ai was aware, Shikamaru had caught him in his shadow possession.

_"Why can't I m-"_ Ai looked toward the ground and understood he had been caught. _"Now what? Guess I have no choice but to try to turn myself in."_

"Kotetsu, Izumo. Listen carefully. Now that I have him, I want you to hurry and cut his head off." Shikamaru spoke frankly to his comrades.

Ai was suddenly caught in a panic. _"C-cut my head off...?"_

"Don't just stand there! We don't have a lot of time with this guy; you know this better than any." Shikamaru barked his orders.

"Wait!" Ai pleaded.

"I have to tell you, I'm not-!" Ai was cut off mid sentence and suddenly in extreme pain because of Shikamaru's shadow stitching technique he was now using. It seemed to Ai as though he really wanted to make him suffer by putting him in such pain, rather than making certain he wouldn't escape his technique.

"Now Kotetsu, Izumo!" Shikamaru cried out.

Ai could do nothing to stop them rushing forth with their blades with his having been made immobile, and so he awaited his fate.

_"So this is how it ends, huh? I try my hardest to fulfill my dream and it comes crashing down because of who they think I am,"_ he thought.

But just before Kotetsu and Izumo's blade could strike Ai, the ANBU had arrived, and surprisingly to Ai, in his defense.

They then stood their ground between Ai and Kotetsu, Izumo and Shikamaru, preventing any further fighting.

"We have orders from the Hokage to take this monster away as a prisoner in one piece." One of the ANBU spoke.

"What!? Why!?" Shikamaru questioned in strong disbelief.

The ANBU Shinobi gave one another a look from behind their mask though none of the other Shinobi could tell what that meant.

"First," the ANBU in charge started in. "We have our orders, and we _do not_ question them. Second, seeing that you already have him binded up, it would _seem_ the best option would be to restrain him more securely from this point on, rather than risk any harm to civilians in the village with a full on battle."

Shikamaru was unwilling, but complied with the black ops order, knowing there wasn't much else he could do at that point.

* * *

After placing many binds on Ai, who was in pain from the open wounds on his body, they dragged him to certain quarters within the village where they awaited the Hokage's orders on what to do with him next, having set many guards over him, to keep an eye out until then.

Shikamaru, on the other hand, after having taken some time to calm his nerves from having faced Hidan again, decided to make his way to the Hokage's office to question why he was ordered to stop his assault on who he believed to be Hidan, a sadistic S-rank rogue ninja. He was bent on getting answers, whether the Fifth wanted him to know or not.

"What's this all about!?" he yelled as he barged into the Fifth's office. "I actually had him, and we were going to make him completely incapable of escaping or otherwise, so why'd you order us to stop?" He awaited her reply, as she excused the ANBU who had just given her the status report on the village, as well as feedback of the events that played out by witnesses; civilians and Shinobi, alike.

Though annoyed by his brazen questioning, Tsunade answered Shikamaru anyway, knowing how deeply this touched close to his heart, having lost his sensei to such a vile fiend as Hidan.

"To put it simply, I wanted to simplify the mission in capturing him within the village. I wanted none to be severely injured in getting this done, so I told the ANBU to put dismembering him aside."

Shikamaru paused with confusion, still feeling wound up about the situation.

"I knew it'd be easier to capture him in one piece, than trying to deal fatal blows to an immortal opponent."

"But it wasn't about trying to kill him, but to take away his movement so we wouldn't have to do anything of this all over again," Shikamaru explained, as though he felt such a thing should be obvious.

"Even still," Tsunade continued. "Had I actually _known_ you, alone, would have caught him so easily, I might not have ordered a mission of simple detainment, and would have let you proceed. But, none of that matters now since we have the guy, and it seems he's in quite bit of pain after what you've done to him. He won't be making an escape anytime soon."

"None of it matters!?" Shikamaru was offended at the thought. "It _all_ matters! The less of an advantage we let that bastard have over us, the better it'll be for our village and everyone who's had to suffer at his hands," he finished, almost shaking at his core.

Before Tsunade could reply to Shikamaru's outburst, which took her somewhat by surprise, an ANBU block op made his presence known.

"Forgive the intrusion, Lady Fifth, but there's something urgent to report."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked sternly.

"Hidan, he seems to be, well..." He paused. "He seems to be in denial of who he is."

"And just what's that supposed to mean?" Tsunade asked irately, not feeling up for dealing with anything trivial.

"Well, he says he's _not_ Hidan, but instead is... his twin brother."

"Figures. A psychotic bastard like him _would_ make up such things. He likes playing with people's minds." Shikamaru gave reply back almost directly after the black op spoke, not willing to believe or put up with anything that came from Hidan's mouth.

"Just why is this being reported when we know the history of this lunatic?" Tsunade was somewhat puzzled.

"Because he actually _wants_ us to probe his mind, Lady Fifth."

This came as a shock to both Tsunade and Shikamaru. An Akatsuki member _wanting_ a mind probe? What was his catch, they wondered. It had to be some sort of trick.

"No way. He probably has something up his sleeve. Its something he wants to trap us in. There's no way we can let one of the Yamanaka _or anyone_ probe his thoughts. I'm certain he has some jutsu in place that keeps us from getting any truthful information from within his mind, and only what he_ wants_ us to believe. He is, after all, Akatsuki." Shikamaru said with a heated passion, thinking of Ino and her family being harmed by Hidan. He already lost one close friend to him, and he wasn't willing to lose another.

"Hmmm." Tsunade mulled over what she had just heard, along with the reports of the battle, as well as Ai's time in the village before the discovery.

"What do you mean, 'hmmm'?" Don't tell me you're actually considering what he says is true?" Shikamaru looked onto the Hokage in disbelief.

"Well, it _was_ stated that he was caught fairly easy, too easy for a member of the Akatsuki, and-"

"That could very well be apart of his plan." Shikamaru cut Tsunade off as to dissuade what he believed her to be thinking. "He could have wanted to get caught, just so he could trick us into probing his mind."

"But for what reason?" Tsunade challenged him.

"I-I don't know yet." Shikamaru clenched his fist at the thought of Hidan still sitting in one piece in a cell, and at the thought of his own Hokage possibly believing _any_ word that came from his mouth.

"As I was saying," Tsunade continued. "All the time he was in this village, why reveal himself now only to try to escape right after, as has been reported? I could believe it was some sort of espionage, but Hidan's not that kind of guy, is he? And you, yourself, reported how helpful and life saving he was on your mission to escort the pregnant woman you were protecting. To add to that, the technique he used..." she paused for thought. "I've never read a report saying that he could even do such a thing. _None_ of this adds up to who we know Hidan to being."

"This isn't right. We can't fall into the enemy's hands, not again." Shikamaru pleaded with the Hokage, remembering back when Hidan used a bit of deception before to severely burn his sensei. "We can't just give him what he wants."

"Well how do you propose we go about this? From what we know up to now, his claim could very well be true, and we might have an innocent man locked up in a cell." Tsunade stood up from her seat, with her hands on her desk, in front of her. "I know how you feel about this Shikamaru, but as rational as you are, you can't let your bias be the ruling factor in your judgment toward this matter."

_"I won't believe it, I can't. Not after what he's done."_ Shikamaru thought to himself. _"He's lying... lying. He's an evil bastard and that's all he does."_

Shikamaru gave an exasperated and troubled sigh.

"For all we know, this is just some ruse for something more elaborate in the works by the Akatsuki... but..." he continued. "If we're really going to take his claim into consideration, we should prove or _disprove_ it our own way, and not his."

"What do you mean?" Tsunade inquired.

"We should go to where we _know_ his body is or _was_ buried, and dig up that spot. If we find him still there, then we'll know he's telling the truth, but if we don't, we can pin him for the liar and murderer he is."

Tsunade thought it over.

"All right then. I'll assemble the ANBU to check."

"No, I want to go and see for myself." Shikamaru objected.

Tsunade was taken aback by his comment.

"I know you'll probably say this is too personal for me, but understand that I _have_ to do this, to see if what I buried long ago is still buried."

Tsunade gave a sigh, but reluctantly gave him permission.

"And I want to take _him_ with me."

Tsunade was in more shock than before.

"Absolutely not! There's still a chance he's indeed the wanted S-rank criminal, Hidan! We should keep him locked away until absolutely certain."

"You were the one giving him the benefit of the doubt before, right?" Shikamaru stated, forcing Tsunade to remember her own words. "If you're really worried about him trying anything, then send ANBU to track us, since it seems he was having some trouble with them earlier."

"Fine." Tsunade again was reluctant, but gave in. "Even still, from what I've been told, he's pretty badly injured, so we may have let him heal some before sending him out anyway."

"No, he'll do fine. Just send a medical nin with me, who can look over him as we go, so we can quickly be done with this. If it really is Hidan, we don't want him trying to bolt after his wounds are healed."

Tsunade wasn't really liking all of what this plan was, but she was feeling like she had no other choice, as though Shikamaru wouldn't let the issue be handled her way, because he felt so strongly about doing it _his_ way. He wasn't always like this, she knew, and was one to take orders as they were given, but if he really felt he needed to handle things this way, she did trust him; after all, he had been the one to bury Hidan in the first place.

She looked toward the ANBU black op who had been standing there quietly the whole conversation through.

"You and a few others will track Shikamaru as he goes to check Hidan's grave. Ino will be there also. If it's found that he's Hidan, take him down fast. But if found otherwise," Shikamaru looked Tsunade in the eye as she looked toward him, with Shikamaru not really believing there'd be an "otherwise". "_You_, Shikamaru are to bring him back as fast as possible to properly treat his injuries. Is that understood?"

"Sure." Shikamaru said somewhat bitterly. He couldn't bear the thought of treating the wounds of someone such as Hidan.

* * *

Ai was sitting in a cell, restrained tightly at his arms and legs, feeling like he could drift out of consciousness anytime, being still in pain.

"It's hurts so much. I wonder what they'll do to me. Why did they stop their attack? Did they believe when I said I wasn't Hidan, but was his twin?" So many questions and thoughts flooded his mind.

But even more questions were soon to come as he was brought out of his cell and told he'd be making a trip.

"You're going to be going with Shikamaru," the ANBU told him as he loosened his restraint. "Try anything funny, and we'll know," he then threatened.

"F-for what?" Ai asked, feeling shaken and battered.

"To see if what you say is true or false; if you're really Hidan, or just his brother. Personally, either way is still bad news to me," he finished telling him in a clearly spiteful manner.

Ai wondered how they'd confirm his words by making a trip. Were they going back to his village? It couldn't be that, Ai figured, because he believed they would just send a carrier bird for a message, and they might not believe his village anyway, seeing that Hidan came from there. Then where were they going, he wondered.

"Can I-I get some medical attention before I go?" Ai asked timidly.

The ANBU who stood by him waiting for Shikamaru to arrive looked Ai in the face, saying nothing, as though behind his mask he were staring at Ai for being so foolish as to ask.

* * *

Shikamaru soon made an appearance with Ino, and Ai found he'd be going with both.

"Where are we going?" Ai asked more urgently, somewhat fearful of the destination, without exactly knowing why.

"To see if you're who you say you are. We're going to your grave, _Hidan_. And when we find you're not in it, I guarantee, I **_will_ **put you back." Shikamaru gave Ai a threatening and bitter look.

_"My brother's grave?"_ Ai thought to himself. _"I'm actually going to see him again... but, this wasn't how I wanted it."_

As reluctant as Ai was to go, not wanting the last image in his head of his brother being his corpse, he knew he had no choice, and it was all he could do in order to prove who he was, to stay alive.

_"I promised I would keep my dream alive, so I have to do this. They aren't giving me a choice, so I'll go through with it. I just hope I can muster the strength needed for the journey. These wounds Shikamaru gave me are pretty bad, and hurt like crazy."_

Soon, within the same day, Ai and the rest were off, with the ANBU keeping themselves hidden as they trailed behind.

Ino and Shikamaru were on opposite sides of Ai as they slightly lead on, trying to make sure Ai didn't try to escape.

Ai winced his face in pain with each jump he made within the branches of the trees, as they headed toward the forest Shikamaru's family owned, while Shikamaru, on the other hand, held nothing but the face of one holding a grudge, knowing he truly wanted to bring Ai out there to bury him in the grave he thought was so rightfully his place. Just as soon as they dug up the dirt, he'd be going right back in there, he felt, but he'd bury his other body parts elsewhere so they'd never have to see Hidan come back again.

Though Ino was quiet about the situation, she had felt unsettled after hearing the news and especially after seeing Ai's face up close. She, too, wanted to finally finish Hidan off, but she couldn't help but feel something not quite being right. He just wasn't as she remembered Hidan, and part of her felt maybe, just maybe, he could have been truthful about who he actually was, though she didn't believe it'd be easy to convince Shikamaru of that.

But there was a chance, she believed, that reaching the grave of Hidan would clear things up for all of them, one way or the other.


	6. Trying to Cope

After having gone through the tree tops for nearly a full day, Shikamaru decided it would be best for Ino to get rest before finishing the trip to the forest.

"We'll stop here." Shikamaru stated.

"Right." Ino confirmed. And just hidden from their sight, the ANBU had heard what Shikamaru determined and agreed to take shifts watching the group until day break.

Shikamaru had had his eyes fixed firmly on Ai for most of the way there, and hadn't planned to let up on that, not even to sleep. Instead he convinced Ino that she should just worry about getting her rest as their medical nin while he watched the Akatsuki member Hidan, making certain he wouldn't try anything against them.

Though quite reluctant, Ino understood she just couldn't get through to him, so she agreed.

As a little campfire was set in the middle of the opening of the woods they were settled into, Ai set himself down to rest opposite where Ino and Shikamaru were.

His wounds didn't feel like they were getting any better, and he believed a good sleep was much needed. However, he decided to first ask Ino for her assistance.

"Uh, I-Ino." Ai spoke timidly uncertain of what her reaction would be.

"I was... just wondering if you could look at these wounds of mine. They feel like... like they're getting worse."

Ino looked at Shikamaru to see if it'd be okay with him since he was being extra wary about everything Ai did and stated. Shikamaru nodded lightly, with his hands in his pocket as he sat on the hard ground, before glaring back at Ai.

"Okay, lemme take a look." Ino stated walking over to him.

After closer inspection, Ino didn't have a very good diagnosis. She realized Ai's wounds were indeed getting worse, having not been healed that whole time. He seemed to have picked up a certain type of infection which needed more than her medical ninjutsu could heal.

Ino then decided she'd tell Shikamaru first.

"Wait here, I'll be right back. I just need to confirm something." She spoke calmly to Ai, who then nodded.

_"I wonder if something's seriously wrong," _he thought before taking in a huge breath and exhaling.

"He's really going to need attention fast if we don't want those wounds getting far worse than they already are." Ino spoke quietly to Shikamaru.

"Is it possible for you to just heal him enough to keep things from getting too bad?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Not like this. His wounds have been badly infected, so it's beyond what I can do right now. He'll get sicker if we don't do something soon."

"Well, " Shikamaru said thinking it over. "We can't risk going back now, only to heal him up so he can make a run for it." He looked downward from Ino toward the fire. "He'll just have to cope with it," Shikamaru decided.

Ino walked back toward Ai, not wanting to reveal any bad news, feeling somewhat sorry for the situation he was in.

"Okay, so for now, you seem to be fine. You're just probably tired from all the jumping around. Just get a little rest and you should feel better." Ino tried to be as composed as she could, not feeling justified in withholding the truth.

"Okay..." Ai replied. Exhaustion was heavy in his voice, which concerned Ino even more.

* * *

After everyone was settled, Ino managed to fall asleep and Ai as well, even before she did.

Shikamaru, however, stayed wide awake still distrusting of their passenger. Instead, he saw this night as an opportunity, before they made it to Hidan's burial place, he could set a few things straight, and so he called out for Ai, though not by name.

"Hidan," he stated, believing him to only be feigning his sleep for just the chance to escape, or _worse_. But with Ai feeling so worn out, it was showing not to be enough to awaken him.

And as Ai dreamed, he recalled yet another memory with his brother Hidan.

* * *

In this memory that played back to Ai, he and his brother were on a mission together, trying to gather information on enemy nin. Ai was to provide cover, while Hidan was to gather what he could, listening in, without being detected. However, with Hidan as anxious as ever to do harm to enemy Shinobi of his village, he blew the entire cover, but not before telling Ai not to screw things up by getting himself in trouble.

"I got you, you bastards!" Hidan yelled as he hopped down from the tree tops he and Ai were positioned on, and toward the enemies.

"What the hell...? What's a kid doing here?" One of the three ninja present asked aloud.

"Who the hell cares. They're obviously here to gather information on the plan. Take them down." Their leader commanded.

Fully confident in his abilities as a Shinobi, though still very unrefined, Hidan went in for a strike on the leader, disregarding the other two as insignificant.

"Hidan, we're supposed to gather info, and not give ourselves away!" Ai cried out, far too late to change Hidan's mind.

"Aww shut up wussy, and help me take him down!" Hidan was certain it'd be easier to get information out of them by taking in their leader and torturing him, than waiting around for them to spill anything important. But as Hidan looked his brother's way to berate him, he hadn't noticed one of the Shinobi was rushing in toward him and was prepared to strike him at his heart with a kunai.

"Hidan, look out!" Ai cried as he performed his hand signs high in the tree.

As Hidan turned to face the Shinobi whose weapon was about to pierce the vulnerable youth's heart, steam was released directly under the enemy nin, searing him, to which Hidan swiftly moved out of the way before he was caught in the steam as well.

"Hey you dumb ass, you almost burned me, too. Watch it!" Hidan chastised his brother.

_"That's what he says for me saving his life?"_ Ai thought to himself.

The leader saw nothing to be gained by sticking around and battling children. "Grr, let's go nitwit," he spoke to the only other Shinobi left. "We don't have time for this. They've severely burned our contact, so now we can't relay the information."

As they made their escape, Ai jumped down from the nearby trees to where Hidan was.

"Damn it, they're getting away!" Hidan yelled about to make a dash after them, only to be stopped by Ai.

"What's the big idea, Ai!? We need to finish this mission!"

"The mission was botched the moment you decided to jump into action, Hidan. And you heard the guy; we killed the ninja who was their contact, so trying to sneak the information we needed is out of the question. And there's no way we're getting any info out of those guys without killing _them_ like we did _this_ guy. We just need to report back."

Hidan felt disinclined to do anything his younger brother ordered him to do, but he quickly figured he'd probably not be catching up to the ninja they were after, having wasted time listening to Ai try to talk him out of it.

"Yeah whatever." Hidan shrugged it off. "Can't believe you, _the wussy_, got to kill someone and I didn't. It's great you didn't just sit there and cry like a bitch, though."

Knowing that this was the best he'd get as far as a compliment and a thank you goes from Hidan, Ai happily accepted what his brother had to say.

"Thanks," Ai smiled.

"What're we going to tell everyone though? I knew they shouldn't have paired me with you." Hidan began to complain. "But since you're my brother, and they think you keep me from 'going overboard', I guess it had to be so. They should have at least given us another teammate, but I guess you're the only one who'll put up with my big mouth, like they said."

"Of course, Hidan!" Ai spoke in a chipper tone, to which Hidan gave him a peculiar look.

"You're my bro, my twin, so any mission that's yours is mine. We can always team up! I mean, you're the only one who puts up with my sensitive feelings, I guess," Ai said feeling a little embarrassed to bring it up.

"Ya know, as sissy as you are, you're definitely reliable and loyal."

Ai was somewhat stunned by Hidan. Reliable and loyal weren't words Ai was used to hearing his brother say to him.

"I thought you'd never be a real Shinobi like me, but I guess you actually can hang with the best of us." Hidan finished.

These were the best years Ai would remember with his brother, when he showed to be more than a blood thirsty criminal the world would come to knowing him as, but as a true big brother who had his own way of showing his love for his sibling.

"Haha, thanks Hidan." Ai said before dashing off for their village. "Betcha I make it back before you!" He laughed.

"Hey no fair you cheating bastard! You gave yourself a head start! You know I'm going to beat you, anyway, or my name's not Hidan!"

_"Hidan!" ..._

_"Hidan!" ..._

* * *

"Hidan!"

The name rang out from Ai's dream, back into reality where he slept on the hard ground, near the fire. Ai had just then realized Shikamaru had been calling on his brother's name, still believing it to be his own.

"Sit up. We need to talk." Shikamaru demanded to the now wake Ai.

_"Uh talk?"_ Ai thought. And just then, he felt a sharp pain make its way throughout his entire body. _"W-what is this?"_ He grimaced as he struggled to gather his breath.

"So ... what i-is it you want to talk about?" Ai painfully spoke his words, while sitting up, knowing he'd receive no sympathy from the now embittered Shinobi.

"Well, I decided I'd be the one talking, and you'll be the one listening." Shikamaru spoke frankly.

Shikamaru took a small breath, looking into the flames of the campfire, being reminded of the lighter of his sensei Asuma, as it flickered before him.

"From the start, I knew there was something just off with you, but couldn't quite place my finger on it," Shikamaru began. "But instead of going with my senses, with the _logical_ thing to do, I let you convince me you were some helpful Shinobi, rather than the scum... the murderer you are." Shikamaru's words were cutting sharp at Ai.

"Because I had a lapse in judgment, I endangered everyone, my friends, my family within the Leaf to the same monster who took away my sensei."

Suddenly, Shikamaru's look became intensely fixed on Ai.

"I don't know how you managed to put up this facade for so long, or at all, for that matter. Everyone knows you're not that intelligent and little more than a crude brute at best, but I want you to know that I'm not buying it any longer, and the moment we arrive at the place I buried you, you're going right back in there. So whatever it is you have planned for the village, for my comrades... for me, it's going to fail, whether the Akatsuki's behind it or you're on your own for revenge."

Ai could almost feel the venom in Shikamaru's words work it's way through his system, crippling him from saying anything in response. It was that or the excruciating pain he was feeling that made him hold his tongue for that moment.

Ai knew he couldn't say much to convince Shikamaru that he wasn't his own brother, with a face that told otherwise, but just like he had done in the beginning to gain his trust, he felt it was worth trying again. He was just going to be himself not focusing on Hidan, but on his own dream of being a shinobi.

"S-shika..." Ai paused to take a deep breath, to help him ignore his own pain and focus on Shikamaru's instead. "Shikamaru, I'm ... sorry," he spoke softly, to which left Shikamaru in a slight shock.

_"He's apologizing...?"_ But then he quickly remembered his own words about not falling for his put on anymore and figured even a cruel murderer would know that saying sorry would gain him favor with anyone naïve enough to believe him.

Ai continued on speaking. "I'm sorry I lied to you, and everyone else, but not about being who I truly am, but about what I really look like, and my beginning as a shinobi. I just couldn't tell everyone the truth since I found that in doing that, everyone would reject me before I could even show who I... truly was." Ai's breathing was growing heavier.

"I'm also sorry for what my brother's caused you to go through." Shikamaru became a bit more attentive to Ai's words. "I can't imagine what it must have felt like to lose your sensei to someone who doesn't care at all about other people's lives, but I can say that I'm greatly sorrowful for all the pain Hidan has caused, for all the pain I caused..."

"Bastard!" Shikamaru cried out.

"You think apologizing now will make it better!? And worse, you're not even truly apologizing for what you've done; you're detaching yourself, making it seem as if it was another guy's crimes, when you killed him! You killed Asuma sensei!"

Ai was partly shaken by Shikamaru's outburst.

"You can keep going on and on about how you're Hidan's brother, but everyone can see through that lie of yours now that your transformation jutsu's not in place. Just you wait; you're going to pay for every life you mercilessly snuffed out!"

Ino had awaken upon Shikamaru's rant, and felt a bit shaken up herself, not at all used to seeing the calm, collected, and relaxed Shikamaru so high strung. He seemed far angrier than when he first faced off with Hidan after their sensei was killed. Maybe it was because Shikamaru felt he partly failed to avenge his sensei, Ino wondered. But whatever it was, she felt she couldn't let him dwell in it too long.

_"Shikamaru..."_ she thought to herself with concern as she looked at his hardened eyes toward Ai. "I'll take my shift now, Shikamaru," she spoke abruptly.

"Ino? Wh-... no. Just get your rest, Ino. I'm fine."

"Shikamaru, seriously, get some sleep. You're the brains of this operation, remember? If you're not at the top of your game, anything can go wrong." Ino gave him a comforting smile, hoping he'd take what she said to heart.

And with that, and a bit of time, she was able to convince him that she'd be able to handle herself as she kept her shift.

"You should probably get back to sleep yourself," Ino suggested to Ai who was still awake. She felt concerned for his health though she wasn't so certain she should be, not knowing the full truth.

"No, I'm... I'm alright."

"But you look exhausted."

"I definitely am" Ai said truthfully. "But if I do, sleep that is, I'll only dream of him again, and I don't want that. It's just too much."

"Him...?" Ino became intrigued.

"Yeah, my brother..." As the words left Ai's mouth, he began to feel hesitant to continue on, remembering what speaking about Hidan got him when he talked with Shikamaru.

Noticing his apprehension, Ino decided to reassure him, though she again wondered why she felt so calm around him.

"It's okay. I won't yell," she spoke softly.

"I ... I never meant for any of this trouble." Ino couldn't tell if the pained expression of Ai's face was because of his injuries, or because of what he had a need to say.

"I only wanted to continue my dream as a Shinobi, to be what I've always striven to be. I only wanted... to be my own man, my own Shinobi, and not have to live my life in the shadow of my brother and all of his actions."

Ino tried to bring herself to understand, and surprisingly enough to her, it was coming fairly easily. She couldn't stop the nagging feeling toward what Ai was speaking wasn't a lie. She couldn't believe that someone like Hidan, a merciless killer, someone who felt no remorse or regret for all the lives he took could fake such emotion and keep up such an act for so long.

"Hi- ... _Ai_" Ino called to Ai's surprise. "I don't think that until we get to Hidan's grave Shikamaru will trust anything you have to say, but I want you to know... I want you to know, I believe you."

Ai was stunned.

"I believe you are who you say you are. That you're not Hidan, and you didn't mean for any of this. I'll do my best to keep your health up until we're able to get you back to the village, but try not to push yourself too much, because what I didn't want to share with you was that... well, you have a really bad infection."

Ai was somewhat surprised, but not entirely. "I see."

"But, we have all the supplies we need back at the village, and we only need to get back there in time to make sure you're okay. Things shouldn't get too bad while we're out here, so long as I'm keeping your infection in check. And it won't be long til we arrive at the burial, so we'll be back in the Leaf before you know it."

Ai began to tear up for the sympathy Ino was showing him. "Thank you Ino." Ai told her as he choked back his tears.

"Yeah. You just get some rest okay?" she smiled his way.

* * *

Upon everyone's waking up and preparing to head out, Ai was in worse condition than when they set up camp.

Though Ino was fully understanding of how hard the rest of the journey would be for the ill Ai, Shikamaru wasn't all too convinced, though he began to have a nagging feeling, himself, that he decided he'd try to quiet by continuing to remind himself of what happened to his late sensei at Hidan's hands.

However, seeing Ai, and the look in his eyes made Shikamaru feel less bitter toward him and more sympathetic. He didn't look like the Hidan he knew. Even just before he buried him alive, Hidan kept with his same cocky attitude. He didn't once show a sign of remorse in his eyes, not once did he give a hint of helplessness and humility, even without his limbs attached. He always clung to the fact of his being immortal as something to get him out of any desperate looking situation, and none of that was showing in Ai, to Shikamaru.

For a moment, Shikamaru could feel his face reflect a bit of compassion toward the Shinobi he was so convinced to being Hidan. Ai looked his way, still wincing in pain from his injuries, and was slightly surprised to see such tenderness in Shikamaru's expression.

And just as suddenly as it showed, Shikamaru snapped out of it, feeling he was getting away from himself, and falling for Hidan's deception.

_"The bastard took me hostage; why am I even slightly conflicted? I need to keep 200 moves ahead of this guy, so whatever he's got planned, won't work on us. I can't afford to let my judgment lapse again. Not when lives are at stake."_ he thought.

* * *

Moving forward, Ai was having trouble keeping up with the group, but dealt with all the pain he had as best as he could, determined more than ever to make it to his brother's grave to prove his own words; that he was Ai, and not Hidan.

Ai had felt a great sense of loss when he heard what happened to Hidan, though he couldn't deny he expected as much ever since he was a young boy. And just as he felt a sense of loss there, somewhere in him, he felt something similar to that when he lost Shikamaru's trust. He felt fully responsible for all of what was happening, though Hidan's deeds were what got him in trouble, and he believed that he even deserved all the pain he felt. Had he just been truthful from the start, maybe none of what was happening would have happened, Ai pondered.

Ai and the group were just a few yards away from the grave, and just before they reached it, it was decided upon that those within the ANBU would remove all the dirt from the burial with a special earth style jutsu they knew, and place it all back when necessary.

Once they got there, all were on guard with the exception of Ino, for when the dirt was removed. She had full confidence Ai wasn't Hidan trying to trick them, and seeing how sick he was getting, she didn't believe she needed to guard herself from him, in any case.

"Shikamaru, no matter what, I want to thank you for all you've given me in trust and in friendship, even though I've betrayed both." Ai swiftly stated before the completion of the jutsu, though feeling it'd fall in deaf ears anyway. But for Shikamaru, it hadn't. He heard clearly what Ai had to say, even though he denied what Ai had to say as being from anywhere sincere. But still, how was it possible, he wondered, for Hidan to hold such deception as he did. He wasn't that smart, nor that patient to drag such an act on for so long.

* * *

As they continued the earth style jutsu, circling the grave, Shikamaru looked on at Ai, while Ino looked on at Shikamaru. She felt he was acting very unlike himself _now_, but what then when he found Ai wasn't lying? How would he cope? She wondered.

Ai was breathing heavier than ever now, but convinced himself it wasn't because he was getting too sick, but more because of anxiety from the anticipation of seeing his brother, Hidan. How would he cope with such an image in his head, he wondered.

With the ANBU concentrating on the earth removal jutsu, and the minds of the other Shinobi preoccupied, none sensed the danger which was nearby, waiting for the chance to strike even one of the Leaf Shinobi down, waiting for their chance to get revenge on the Leaf Shinobi for what they had done.


	7. Setting up for Revenge

The ANBU surrounded the grave of Hidan, and continued performing their earth removal jutsu. At the same time, Shikamaru, Ai, and Ino waited in uneasy anticipation of what they'd soon see when the jutsu was complete.

_"His entire plan is about to come undone,"_ Shikamaru thought.

_"What's going to happen with Shikamaru?"_ Ino wondered.

_"I can't believe it's actually come to this,"_ Ai said at heart.

And with a sudden rumble of the ground, the rocks and the earth that was piled into the hole that Shikamaru had dug some time back, made to be the _permanent_ grave of his enemy, was lifted by the ANBU's jutsu as one solid mass and was set upon the ground near to where the Leaf Shinobi stood, with a loud slam.

"It's done," one of the ANBU stated as he breathed heavily, the jutsu having taxed greatly on his and his comrades chakra.

_"Here it is. Here he is,"_ Ai thought, still in great pain.

"Hey! What the hell is going on!?" All the Leaf Shinobi heard a voice echo from the now wide open hole. "Who's there!?" The voice cried out. "It better be someone to get me out of this damn hole!"

With shock, the shinobi stood in place, each wondering if their comrades had heard the same words they were hearing. All then looked toward Ai, who himself, was in greater shock than they.

"My ... brother, he's still alive... ?" Ai was astonished.

_"What's going on...?"_ Shikamaru began to wonder, eyes widened. "There's no way... he's not..." Hearing the voice of Hidan coming from within the ground that he, himself, had buried him in was the last thing Shikamaru had expected, seeing that Ai, who he believed _to be_ Hidan, was standing not three feet away. As Shikamaru looked on in amazement, Ai walked closer to the hole, only able to do so slowly for the pain which was crippling him, and also for not being fully ready to see his older brother after so long and after so much had happened.

When he got to the exact spot to see clearly within the hole, what he saw was shocking to him. It was Hidan's head, and it looked gaunt from where he was standing. He also noticed how all his other body parts were scattered in a mess.

"This can't be right," Ai thought. "I know I heard his voice, but that..." he gulped. "That's only his head."

As Hidan tried to get a good look at who was staring down at him from atop the hole, he began to speak. "And just who the fuck are you!?" This came as quite a shock to Ai, who tried to reason with himself about what he was experiencing.

_"Maybe I'm just delusional from all the wounds. I have a fever, so i-it's just playing tricks on my mind."_ But this reasoning didn't fair so well as Hidan kept talking.

"Don't have anything to say, huh? Kakazu would do that shit to me all of the time, and let me tell you now, I don't have patience for it! Who the fuck are you,_ asshole_!?" he asked more forcefully.

Ai then remembered when he was told his brother had gained immortality and he began to understand why the impossible was happening. "Of course," Ai said in revelation. "I was told he was defeated a while after getting immortality, but never that he ... died." Ai looked on toward his brother, truly amazed at the condition both were in at this reunion.

"_Grrr,_ I'm getting really pissed off with you just staring at me! Are you gonna get me out of this fucking place or what you piece of shit!?" Hidan was becoming more irate with his brother, who he still hadn't recognized because of the angle at which Ai stood in his view.

"Hidan, it's me." Ai spoke softly, but just loud enough for Hidan to hear.

"How long-! ..." The sound of the voice had an instant hint of familiarity with Hidan. "Wha... A-Ai? Is that you!?"

Ai's face became clearer as he moved to a different point around the hole his brother was in.

"It _is_ you! What the hell are you doing here?" Though his greeting seemed less than welcoming, on the inside, Hidan became more confident he'd be getting out of his confinement, upon seeing his twin. "I have to say, I never expected to see my pussy of a brother anytime soon, and at a time like this, no less."

Ai coughed heavily, continuing to show signs of his illness, and as his body came in clear view for Hidan, he was able to see the full extent of the damage Ai had acquired before meeting him.

"_Wow_, Ai. You look shittier than me. What the fuck happened?"

"It's noth-nothing." Ai collected himself, still subconsciously holding his wounds. "Hidan, I really didn't expect to see you again, either, brother, and never in a million years would I have thought I'd be talking with only your disembodied head."

"Yeah, well, some pussy did this to me," Hidan stated alluding to Shikamaru, as he looked on at the other members of his body. "And he left me here after burying me in rocks. Ya know, Ai, after you get me out of this hole, I'm gonna find the bitch boy that did this, and shove my detached foot so far up his ass! He will know the wrath of Jashin!" Hidan was becoming more animated as he remembered his last encounter with Shikamaru. But in a moment of puzzlement, he looked to Ai. "Wait, how'd you know where to find me, Ai? I thought you were still back at the village when I joined up with the Akatsuki."

The question took Ai by surprise. He knew it was a long story that led him to this point, and he really didn't believe he'd be given the time to explain it all to his brother with the Leaf Shinobi watching over him. It was either them who'd stop him, or he'd pass out soon from the pain before he could finish, he believed. He decided instead to clear up the misunderstanding Hidan seemed to have about his reason for being there.

"H-Hidan," he started timidly. "I... I didn't come to get you out of here, brother. I came to see you because I needed to prove my innocence," Ai went on.

* * *

As Ai was talking to his brother, the other Shinobi watched on in continual confusion and shock. Though Ino expected the situation which was before her, it wasn't as easy as she first thought it would be to process that she was in vicinity of both Hidan _and_ Ai. The contrasting personalities was so apparent now, by what she could hear of their discussion, she then wondered how any one of them could have ever suspected Ai to being someone so crass as Hidan.

Meanwhile, the ANBU, just looked over to one another, not entirely certain what it is was they should do as Ai talked to his twin. They hadn't expected Ai to have been telling to the truth, so burying him in the hole was now out of the question. Questions that were raised in their own minds were in line with wondering if they should even believe the event they were seeing and hearing. Could this have been some high level genjutsu set in place to to fool them?

While these were taking in what they heard, trying to figure out if it were all a farce, and Ino was coming to terms with it all, Shikamaru stood in place with shaking hands, and sweat visibly falling from his face. He gulped. _"Does that mean, he was... h-he was telling the truth?"_ he thoughts went on. "I... can't believe it. All this time, I've been unsettled, not acting like myself, and he's not even the one who took my sensei away. I should have known better. What would Asuma sensei think of me getting so bent out of shape, not using logic and running on emotion alone..." Shikamaru began feeling a great sense of shame for the way he'd behaved the past days.

* * *

"What the fuck are you talking about you? Are you saying you're going to leave me in this ditch!? You fucker!"

"Hidan, calm-"

"I won't calm down til you get me the fuck out of here! You think it's fun being in a hole all damn day!? I'm thirsty as hell! My mouth is dry as a desert, and it's fucking lonely in here! And you know another fucking thing!? It annoying as shit having a bunch of rocks piled on you! So you better be getting me out of here or I'll never fucking forgive you, Ai!"

The exchange between the twins went on, one trying his best to quell the other's hostile emotions. "Hidan, please. I ... Part of me really does want to help you, big brother, but... I can't. You have to understand that. I'm not in a position to do so even if I truly wanted without question." Ai continued to try to reason with Hidan to no avail.

"I don't have to do a fucking thing! I'm just a talking head and you expect me to tolerate your bullshit because of that!"

"Look, Hidan. I'm here with Leaf villagers, and I was more or less brought here by them so it could be proven that I wasn't, well, that I wasn't you." Hidan became somewhat intrigued with what Ai was saying.

"Huh? What are you going on about, Ai? You know I don't like being confused, so explain yourself clearer, damn it."

Ai took a deep breath and sighed, before explaining slowly and precisely what he meant. "Ever since you left the village, big brother, and made such an... infamous name for yourself, it's been hard for me outside of the village. People kept mistaking me for you, and some have even tried to take my life because of it."

Hidan looked on with furrowed brows waiting for his brother to finish what he had to say.

"So now, it's come to me having to prove I'm not you, in this manner, with the Leaf villagers who brought me here." And just as soon as he finished, Ai again cringed at the pain he was in.

"Leaf villagers... So that's how you found me." Hidan realized. "And just what the hell are you hanging with them for, Ai? They're the ones who put me in here!"

As Ai gathered himself, now being hunched over in pain, he responded to his brother. "Yes, I know. I've gathered that much. And because they thought I was you come back from the grave, I'm in the pain I'm in now," he explained.

"Wha..? You mean, they did all of that to you, Ai?" Hidan began to feel a sense of harm done to his pride upon hearing his little brother had been hurt by Leaf villagers, the same pool of Shinobi who sealed his fate within a deep hole in the ground, leaving him to be forgotten, to waste away in isolation.

"Just those Leaf Villagers wait," Hidan's temper began to rise, becoming more threatening in his tone. "When I get outta here, I'm going to slaughter every one of them before the great Jashin! Those bastards will pay! Every last one of them; man, woman, and child! Especially that shadow controlling bitch who put me in here!"

Ai then suddenly got a thought of Shikamaru, understanding it was he who was being talked about.

"If I see him again, he's going to wish he was dead with that retarded ass sensei of his!" Hidan continued his rant.

* * *

The Leaf Shinobi then began to speak to one another about taking Ai back and explaining their finding to the Fifth, along with sharing their disbelief to one another, though Shikamaru was unnaturally silent in their plans to go back.

"Shikamaru," Ino spoke gently. "Are you..."

"I'm fine, Ino. Just... Let's just get Ai back to the village, before he gets any sicker," he said in a somewhat embittered tone. Shikamaru wasn't really upset with Ino, though it sounded as though he was, and he was no longer upset at Ai, but had now taken all that frustration, all the anger and sadness which was building, and turned it in on himself. He felt so disappointed in himself. How could he, the Leaf's top strategic mind, let his emotions get the better of him, that he'd accuse an innocent man before having concrete evidence? Sure, he had the same exact face of Hidan, but the manner in which he behaved, how he not only helped save the pregnant woman they guarded, but ran away, instead of trying to fight back, when he was figured out, all was proof to show he couldn't have been Hidan. In his trying to be cautious, he almost cut short the life of someone who only sought to be free from an infamous reputation he hadn't, himself, earned.

Shikamaru chose to walk over to Ai, though part of him was reluctant for both his shame and his not wanting to see the actual Hidan in the hole, below.

Ai looked up from his conversation with Hidan, to Shikamaru walking toward where he stood. Though Shikamaru's eyes were toward the ground, Ai could tell there was something important he had to say.

"Hey! I'm down here you twat! What are you looking at!?" Hidan stated, still bent on convincing his brother to get him out of the hole.

Ai looked back down at Hidan, with Shikamaru still on mind._ "I wonder what he's going to say to me. This is the proof he wanted, the proof I needed, and what a way it's been proven,"_ he thought. _"Maybe I'll still be allowed to join their ranks... or maybe they won't let me for causing all this trouble in the first pl-"_ And again, Ai was abruptly cut off in thought for a sudden sharp pain he felt throughout his entire body. "This is getting to be too much," he thought before his brother again called on him.

"Hey! Am I talking to my-fucking-self!?" Hidan was getting very annoyed by his being disregarded.

"I'm sorry, Hidan. It's just these injuries, they're kind of hard to ignore."

And immediately, with no warning, as Shikmaru had just made his way to Ai, there was a smoke bomb thrown from the top of the trees in the forest.

"An attack. Move." The leader of the ANBU calmly commanded, to which all the ANBU took positioning within he heights of the trees.

Hidden in the leaves, the Leaf Shinobi scoped out the area from their respective vantage points.

"I don't... see anyone." One ANBU stated from above the smoke.

And just then Shikamaru's loud yell could be heard, before an audible thud.

_ "What's going on?"_ one of the ANBU questioned to himself.

* * *

While Shikamaru and Ino were on guard for a possible attack, Ai couldn't bring himself to even standing anymore; the pain had become unbearable. He fainted toward the edge of the hole.

"Damn it. I can't see a thing." Shikamaru spoke aloud as he searched around for Ino, on the lookout for enemy an attack.

"Shikamaru! Where are you? I can't sense your chakra." Ino called out.

"Ino, careful!" Shikamaru cried, uncertain where the enemy could strike.

"Thought you could get rid of me, huh!? I'll save you two for later, but for now, I deal with the girl," the familiar voiced cried out, before Shikamaru felt a swift kick to his back. As he had his weapon drawn, he extended his hands in front of him, bracing himself to land on the hard ground, but was in for a surprise when he felt only air rushing passed him.

He let out a yell before landing hard.

"Damn it, what ... ugh, what the hell?"Shikamaru rubbed his head as he quickly tried to figure out his surroundings, almost lying flat on his back. "Where am I?" he questioned aloud.

"It's you!" a voice near to him spoke. "I was wondering what the hell all that smoke was about, but now that doesn't even matter."

"Huh, what..." Shikamaru was astonished when he saw the face of the one and true Hidan.

"I told you I'd be back to bite your throat out, but since you blew off my legs and I can't reach your damn neck, I'm gonna gnaw off whichever body part I get to first!" Hidan threatened Shikamaru just before biting his hand which was nearest to his mouth.

Shikamaru immediately yelled out in pain as Hidan berated him, while biting down.

"DI bwet dit wuzch yoo hoo mesched up Ai lie thaa_(I bet it was you who messed up Ai like that.)_" Hidan tried to speak with Shikamaru's hand muffling his enunciation. "Yoo hurr him didin yoo, yoo fuuker!_(You hurt him, didn't you, you fucker!?)_"

As Shikamaru struggled with Hidan, trying to keep his hand intact, he was able to pry Hidn's mouth loose from him, tossing Hidan's head up against the wall of the hole.

"Ah! You bastard!" Hidan yelled. "_Blech!_ What is that, the hand you jerk off with!? It tastes terrible!"

In that moment, Shikamaru wasn't so much concerned anymore with Hidan, but more on getting out of the hole when he heard Ino's cry out.

* * *

"Ino!" Shikamaru yelled in hopes of getting a reply.

"Ah! Stay back you creeps!" Ino yelled again, as she maneuvered out of the grasp of what seemed to be other Shinobi. "Shikamaru, where are you!?"

"Ino, I'm in the hole; someone kicked me in here. You have to figure out a way to clear the smoke, Ino."

"Yeah, that's kind of obvious, Shikamaru, but what isn't obvious is _how_!"

"Give me a minute, I'll figure something out."

"Hurry! I can't spot these guys. The screen is too thick. It's somehow blocking my chakra sense."

* * *

Shikamaru got to thinking fast, trying to figure how he could get Ino and himself out of their more than desperate situation. Where were the ANBU? What was happening with Ai? Was he in on this somehow? Shikamaru believed these would be given answer soon enough, but now, somehow, he had to focus his attention on the immediate problem they were in, or else it might cost Ino her life.

* * *

**_A/N: Sorry for the long wait; been busy, so hope this chapter satisfies! The next one should come sooner, but I can't promise! Thanks for following the story all!_**


End file.
